README

NAME
TryCatch - first class try catch semantics for Perl, without source
filters.
DESCRIPTION
This module aims to provide a nicer syntax and method to catch errors in
Perl, similar to what is found in other languages (such as Java, Python
or C++). The standard method of using "eval {}; if ($@) {}" is often
prone to subtle bugs, primarily that its far too easy to stomp on the
error in error handlers. And also eval/if isn't the nicest idiom.
SYNOPSIS
use TryCatch;
sub foo {
my ($self) = @_;
try {
die Some::Class->new(code => 404 ) if $self->not_found;
return "return value from foo";
}
catch (Some::Class $e where { $_->code > 100 } ) {
}
}
SYNTAX
This module aims to give first class exception handling to perl via
'try' and 'catch' keywords. The basic syntax this module provides is
"try { # block }" followed by zero or more catch blocks. Each catch
block has an optional type constraint on it the resembles Perl6's method
signatures.
Also worth noting is that the error variable ($@) is localised to the
try/catch blocks and will not leak outside the scope, or stomp on a
previous value of $@.
The simplest case of a catch block is just
catch { ... }
where upon the error is available in the standard $@ variable and no
type checking is performed. The exception can instead be accessed via a
named lexical variable by providing a simple signature to the catch
block as follows:
catch ($err) { ... }
Type checking of the exception can be performed by specifing a type
constraint or where clauses in the signature as follows:
catch (TypeFoo $e) { ... }
catch (Dict[code => Int, message => Str] $err) { ... }
As shown in the above example, complex Moose types can be used,
including MooseX::Types style of type constraints
In addition to type checking via Moose type constraints, you can also
use where clauses to only match a certain sub-condition on an error. For
example, assuming that "HTTPError" is a suitably defined TC:
catch (HTTPError $e where { $_->code >= 400 && $_->code <= 499 } ) {
return "4XX error";
}
catch (HTTPError $e) {
return "other http code";
}
would return "4XX error" in the case of a 404 error, and "other http
code" in the case of a 302.
In the case where multiple catch blocks are present, the first one that
matches the type constraints (if any) will executed.
BENEFITS
return. You can put a return in a try block, and it would do the right
thing - namely return a value from the subroutine you are in, instead of
just from the eval block.
Type Checking. This is nothing you couldn't do manually yourself, it
does it for you using Moose type constraints.
TODO
* Decide on "finally" semantics w.r.t return values.
* Write some more documentation
SEE ALSO
MooseX::Types, Moose::Util::TypeConstraints, Parse::Method::Signatures.
AUTHOR
Ash Berlin <ash@cpan.org>
THANKS
Thanks to Matt S Trout and Florian Ragwitz for work on Devel::Declare
and various B::Hooks modules
Vincent Pit for Scope::Upper that makes the return from block possible.
LICENSE
Licensed under the same terms as Perl itself.